Core variant

Summary¶

libdrone Core is the educational variant of the libdrone family. It shares the Matek H7A3-SLIM flight controller, ELRS receiver, and Betaflight firmware stack with Pro, scaled down to a 4-inch, 4S airframe printed in PETG rather than PC-CF. The defining design decision is deliberate reduction: Core removes every capability not needed for FPV piloting education and drone construction teaching. Under 250 g all-up weight places it in EASA Open A1, giving students maximum flight access with minimum regulatory constraint. A student who builds and flies Core acquires directly transferable skills — same firmware, same radio protocol, same flight modes — when stepping up to Pro or Bandit.

Concept¶

Deliberate stripping¶

Core is not a smaller Pro. It is a stripped Pro — every capability that increases build complexity, BOM cost, or regulatory weight without contributing to the educational objective has been removed. No HDZero digital video (analog is cheaper, more goggle-compatible for group sessions). No PC-CF arms (PETG is printable on any school-grade printer). No 6S power system (4S reduces handling risk and BOM cost).

What is retained is everything that makes the platform educationally valid: the same FC so Betaflight skills transfer directly, the same ELRS protocol so radio skills transfer, the same EdgeTX model structure, and the same GX12-7 dual payload interface so a payload built on Core flies on Pro and Bandit without modification. Students learn the real interface from day one — not a simplified substitute.

The sub-250 g threshold¶

EASA Open A1 permits flight near people without an operator licence or prior airspace notification in most scenarios. For educational deployments — in school yards, at events, during workshops — this regulatory access matters practically. Keeping AUW below 250 g is a deliberate design constraint, not a coincidence. See → easa-open-category for the full regulatory framework.

Skill transfer path¶

Core → Pro is the intended progression for pilots. Core → Bandit is the intended progression for operators moving into autonomous flight. The shared hardware (H7A3, ELRS) and shared firmware (Betaflight) make both transitions a configuration change rather than a relearning. The 30×30 stack geometry, the prop-tightening procedure, the Betaflight rate profiles — all identical. The investment in learning Core compounds.

Reference¶

Shared SKUs with Pro and Bandit: Matek H7A3-SLIM, Happymodel EP2 Nano, 3 mm CF rods, M2/M3 hardware.

Procedure¶

Rationale¶

The choice of analog video over HDZero is the most questioned cost-saving decision in Core. Digital FPV provides better image quality and latency. For an educational platform, however, the goal is not image quality — it is that every student in the room can watch a live feed. Box goggles with analog receivers cost €30–50 and are universally available. HDZero goggles cost €150–200 and require the HDZero ecosystem. Analog keeps the workshop barrier low. When a student transitions to personal equipment for their own builds, they make their own video system choice — Core does not pre-select it for them.

Connections¶

requires: - platform-overview related: - platform-selection - bandit-variant - easa-open-category - betaflight-setup - print-profiles - petg leads_to: - betaflight-setup - platform-selection